When I first drove an electric car over a decade ago, I never imagined that the propulsion system of a vehicle would one day become part of our country’s great political divide; absolutely ludicrous, of course, but such are the state of affairs these days. I have noticed, though, that the most vocal EV critics usually share two things in common: 1) they’ve never driven one, and 2) they’re budding environmental anthropologists with an expertise in cable news regurgitation. But I digress. Like them not, EVs are coming to market in droves and this here is the most exciting electric I’ve yet to test: the iX M60. Not only is this BMW’s first battery-powered SUV it’s also the first fully-electric M Sports Activity Vehicle. Sized similarly to the X5 but with greater interior volume, this version of the iX is the high-performance utility of affluent dreams. If I had $110,000 this one would move right to the top of my wish list. If you’re the kind who geeks-out on tech, craves next-gen everything, and appreciates bold styling, this iX is your spirit animal.

TWIN KIDNEYS THE LONG WAY

There’s much consternation about the face of BMWs these days, but I’m all about this elongated grille on their SUVs – just not as much on the cars. With the optional bronze highlights and 21” Aero wheels, this Mineral White example looks tremendous; I just love its modernistic stance. Anytime I spot something on the street looking like a concept car that escaped the auto show floor I tip my hat to the OEM because it takes guts and that’s exactly the aura the iX resonates. Without the mechanical constraints of an engine and its associated linkages, designers can do some wonderful things with EVs one of which is to carve out large amounts of real estate inside. The flat floor with the battery beneath makes these rear seats incredibly spacious for 3-across with leg- and headroom for days. And, the floating center console with minimal dash intrusion brings a welcome and surprising openness to the cabin. Hey, and no need to worry about the kids escaping out of the rear windows – they only go halfway down. Look closely and the exposed carbon fiber reinforced plastic at the door openings points to weight-saving measures but still, at 5,769 pounds, it’s husky – about 1,000-pounds heavier than an X5.

ICONIC SOUNDS ON OR OFF?

But the jaw-dropping moments here are courtesy of the large capacity, 111-kWh battery, and the pair of high-output electric motors – the rear producing 483 horsepower, the front 255. Not only does this iX boast a respectable 288-mile driving range, but it also hastens momentum to absurd levels at any speed. With a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds this is now BMW’s fastest SUV and in real-world driving it plays even quicker. In Launch Mode or in Sport Boost, the electrons unload their full artillery and it is wild.

Unlike in a reciprocating engine, often aided by a turbo, the M60 doesn’t even know what “lag” means. The iX is always just a pedal push away from warp speed travel. Leave “Iconic Sounds” on and they’ll induce flashbacks to riding Space Mountain. These orchestrated, ultramodern soundtracks correlate to the selected drive mode and driving style with your right foot acting as the conductor. I think they’re pretty neat but not everyone agrees and, in that case, they can be shut off entirely with a simple press of the touchscreen. That makes rapid acceleration even weirder though because then there’s just eerie silence without any reference point to how fast the iX is actually moving.

UNIQUE HANDLING WITH AN EMPHASIS ON FAST

The iX M60 checks all of the boxes for what a thoroughly modern sport utility should be: cutting edge design, fresh, minimalist cabin with next-gen tech and astounding power. Accelerating consistently evokes laughter…it’s that fast with the Iconic Sounds contributing to the visceral experience. And in Sport Mode with the backrests squeezed in to secure the front occupants the M60 delivers an enticing backroad experience anchored by quick steering and meaty Pirelli rubber developed specifically for high-performance electrics. The handling traits are unique in that there’s a lot of weight situated low between the axles taxing the chassis but it’s still impressively competent. Braking is also M-level solid with much better feel than in the i4 M50 I recently tested while ride comfort on the air suspension is exemplary. For an added level of control during spirited driving shift down into ‘B’, triggering one-pedal drive putting acceleration and braking into one combined action of the driver’s right foot.

Acclimating to the geometric steering wheel takes a moment or two but all told this is one supremely comfortable and quiet cabin; one of the most serene SUVs money can buy. It’s interesting to note however that only the driver’s seat has been bestowed massage settings.

A CHARGING MATTER

As for charging, BMW starts new owners off with 2 years of complimentary plug-ins at Electrify America where at one of their ultra-fast 350 kW stations this iX can charge from 10% to 80% in 35 minutes. A slower fast-charger, like those 50 kW cables at EVgo, takes 97 minutes to do the same job. A level II charger, such as the home-installed Wallbox BMW offers, can charge the iX to 100% capacity in under 12 hours. And, if you need to find a station you can simply ask BMW through natural speech voice control and even sort the public chargers by type over on the big central screen. BMW doesn’t provide enough in the way of EV-specific apps though – I want a visual of the driving radius and other pertinent metrics but there’s not much of that built-in. In this warm weather, I’ve had no problem netting over 300 miles on a full charge. It should also be noted that if the optional 22” wheels are chosen the M60 loses 14 miles of total driving range.

IS iDRIVE 8 BETTER?

The new iDrive 8 is a busy system with lots of tablet-like icons that aren’t arranged in any logical way. Much information can be accessed here and there’re surely some neat features, such as the cabin camera for snapping some road trip selfies, but it’s just not organized well enough and it houses some controls which should be over on the steering wheel. Take the smart cruise control for instance; I’ve never seen the gap setting buried in an infotainment screen before and it’s a bad idea. I’m all for simplified, clean design but some controls need to be readily accessible.

The head-up display is brilliant and the smartphone pockets placed about are a stroke of genius. The full-length glass roof uses an electronic opaque setting instead of a sliding sunshade, the optional blue seatbelts add some visual pop and the Bowers and Wilkins Diamond surround sound system is pure ear candy with bass resonators built into the seats for deeper enjoyment. As usual for a BMW electric, there’s no AM radio frequency so if you’re jonesing for some Coast to Coast AM you’ll have to stream it. Glass and wood controls on the center console and doors add a boutique motif. But I don’t care how many times BMW uses the terms ‘active’ and ‘pro’ in describing their driver assistance package; if it’s not capable of hands-free highway driving then it’s just another smart cruise control system. And on a personal note, this mocha-colored, faux leather wouldn’t be my first choice. I’d also love to see more ambient interior lighting beyond the dazzling multi-colored windowsill LEDs which activate upon approach.

MORE CARGO ROOM

There’s no frunk here but there is a large, wide-cut cargo area with power switches for dropping the rear seats, an elastic restraining strap, a bag hook, and underfloor storage where the 120-volt charge cable can be stowed. And, with the air suspension, the body can squat for easier loading.

The standard iX xDrive50 is rated at 324 miles of range with a starting MSRP of $85,000. But, it’s the M60 that rockets BMW M into a whole new world.